US reassures NATO after Donald Trump's shocking statement

The White House spokesman affirmed that the US commitment to the defense of NATO countries is a firm commitment.

The US government yesterday (July 21) had to speak up to reassure its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies after the shocking statement of Republican 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump about whether the US should defend its allies if they were attacked.

US billionaire Donald Trump at the Republican Party Convention. Photo AP

Speaking at a press conference at the White House, White House spokesman Josh Earnest criticized Mr. Trump's statement, while affirming that the US's commitment to the defense of NATO countries is a firm commitment.

“I want to emphasize that the policy that the President is pursuing is an unwavering commitment to our NATO allies,” said Josh Earnest. “The foundation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is the commitment that all allies must defend each other. America’s commitment to that commitment is unwavering. President Obama renewed America’s commitment just two weeks ago when he traveled to Poland for the NATO summit. Throughout his presidency, he has prioritized strengthening the North Atlantic alliance.”

Previously, on July 20, Republican candidate Donald Trump left open the possibility of removing America's inherent commitment to protecting NATO allies if he was elected US President.

In an interview with The New York Times, real estate tycoon Trump said that the US will only support allies if these countries “fully meet their obligations to the US”. According to Mr. Trump, the US, under the leadership of this candidate, will not necessarily deploy aid to NATO if member countries are attacked, but the first thing to do is to consider the level of contribution of NATO member countries to this alliance.

In addition, the 70-year-old businessman also warned that if elected, he would not put pressure on US allies to suppress political opponents, saying that the US itself needs to "fix its own mess" before "preaching" to other countries./.

According to VOV